Changing Priorities
by Alec Dunmore
Summary: "If you were anyone else, it would be a choice and you'd lose. But you are my parabatai, which means you always come first. Even if sometimes I wish you didn't." After a disasterous encounter with a demon, Alec is furious with his parabatai but Jace has no idea why.


Alec was pulled from sleep when he felt the bed shift. He listened for the familiar wails of their infant son but the room was quiet save Magnus muttering under his breath. Then came the knocking at the front door. Alec blinked away the sleep from his eyes and rolled into the centre of the bed, long limbs stretching when he recoiled from the sharp pain in his ribs. He moved to the edge of the bed and sat up, tenderly this time, a hand cradling his side for support. The small alarm clock on his bedside table told him it was approaching five in the morning and he hung his head with a groan. Max would be awake soon for his bottle and Alec silently cursed whoever it was robbing them of their extra few minutes of sleep.

The throbbing in his ribs slowly began to subside. He would have given himself a quick _iratze_ to relieve the pain but his _stele_ was out in the foyer, probably in the pocket of one of his jackets hanging on the wall. Alec stood with a grunt and then gingerly traced his fingers down his left side where a deep bruise had bloomed – the only evidence left of the deep gash filled with blood and ichor that had been there the night before.

Alec didn't want to think about how he'd gotten it in the first place because it made him angry, and he didn't want to get worked up on his day off. No Institute business, no demon business. Just the promise of a day at the park with his son and boyfriend, where there was no doubt that they would _coincidentally_ bump into the rest of his family there.

He frowned when Magnus didn't immediately return, which meant he knew whoever it was at the door. The warlock was often ruthless with strangers that interrupted his sleep. Alec recalled a bird that was chirping noisily outside their window until Magnus blinked it out of existence. Or so he thought until Jace called him hours later complaining of a bird that appeared of right out of thin air and crashed into his window, squawking in a panic. Jace had apparently been up to watch the sunrise with Clary, though ever since he and Magnus had brought Max home, he'd forgotten why anyone would ever want to give up sleep over something quite so frivolous. He could probably dream about a sunrise in his sleep if he tried hard enough.

Alec pulled on a pair of light grey sweatpants, the silvery scars on his bare chest shimmering as he moved. He padded over to the door and paused; he could hear muffled conversation. He peeked his head out to see Magnus standing by the front door, the deadbolt was still fastened. Alec's eyes widened when Magnus' hand gestured directly towards him; they were either talking about him or it was a mattress salesman and Alec _really_ didn't think any of them worked at this time of the morning. He slipped out into their living room clumsily, wincing at the noise when he kicked over one of Max's rattle toys.

"Who is it?" he asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Magnus seemed reluctant. He sighed, unhooked the deadbolt, and pulled the door open.

Flashes of demon, metal against flesh and bone came back to him as Alec regarded his _parabatai_ impassively. In the doorway, Jace looked determined but uncomfortably out of place, like he knew he shouldn't be there but had to be.

Alec, however, was mad. But he was still shrugging off sleep and his mind remained hazy from whatever healing magic Magnus had used on him; he couldn't quite muster enough strength to care, much less have it out with his friend.

"It's five in the morning," Alec said through a yawn.

Jace stood awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Can I come in?" he asked, his eyes darting back and forth between Alec and Magnus. "We…need to talk," he told Alec.

Magnus was uninterested. "Come back at a more socially acceptable time," he groused before moving to close the door.

"Magnus," Alec called out softly. Magnus moved to his side and placed a supporting hand on his back. He brushed the hair off Alec's face and Alec could see the reluctance and worry in his beloved's eyes. He grabbed hold of Magnus' hand and pressed it to his cheek with a smile.

Magnus looked unsure but then took a step back. Alec tiredly motioned Jace in and closed the door behind him. Magnus remained stoic, his sharp eyes trained on the two Shadowhunters.

Jace went over to the couch and sat down for a minute in apparent discomfort. Then he shifted and started plucking out a myriad of toys from all around him. Alec and Magnus shared and amused look and Alec stifled his laugh. Usually he was the one that went around the apartment at the end of the day putting everything back in its place but last night had been painfully different.

Their amusement was interrupted by muffled bristling coming from the nursery.

"I'll get him," said Alec. He answered his boyfriends' unasked question with a smile and leaned in. They shared a quick kiss and Alec patted the flat planes of Magnus' stomach. "It's fine," he told him and nodded towards the bedroom. "Go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Magnus looked unconvinced.

Alec disappeared into the nursery and returned with their son in his arms. Magnus watched fondly as Max traced the silvery scars that adorned his father's body with his tiny finger.

"Good morning my darling," Magnus greeted softly, offering his finger for Max to hold.

Jace watched the two fathers as they murmured to their son. His presence was almost forgotten until he shifted his weight. He froze when something beneath him made a loud honking noise. His eyes snapped to Alec and Magnus who stared back at him in surprise. The silence broke when Max started bristling.

Magnus leaned down and kissed Max on the forehead and then quickly disappeared back into the bedroom. Alec headed into the kitchen, carrying the sound of his son's complaints across the loft. He put on a fresh pot of coffee and then expertly began to prepare Max's bottle one-handedly while bouncing a tiny, grizzling, blue baby in his arm.

From the corner of his eye, Alec saw Jace move to stand close by. For a while neither of them said anything.

"Why is everything yellow?" Jace finally asked, holding up a yellow stuffed fish.

Alec scanned the apartment and sure enough, all the baby toys were in different hues of yellow. "They were all purple yesterday," he told Jace with a nonchalant shrug. Alec had gotten so used to living with Magnus that he no longer questioned anything strange in their apartment unless it was dangerous or smelled bad.

He double checked to make sure the formula wasn't too hot, grabbed the towel off the cabinet door and went over to the couch, careful not to step on any more of the toys that littered the floor. Alec slung the towel over his shoulder then carefully repositioned the baby in his arms before presenting Max with his prize, who all but clapped before clamping the bottle with his tiny fists.

Once Max was settled, Alec finally turned his attention to his _parabatai_. "You said you wanted to talk," he said coolly. "So talk."

"What happened last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"You got hit hard," said Jace, motioning to the darkened marks down Alec's ribs. "And then you yelled at me and stormed off. You didn't even give me the chance to give you an _iratze_. You could have been–"

Alec scoffed. "Oh now you care."

"Alec–"

"It's funny how I'm the one that comes out with broken ribs and a punctured lung when you're the one who didn't want to listen," said Alec, his voice low with the barest hint of anger.

Jace, to his credit, looked contrite. "I'm sorry."

Alec said nonchalantly, "I'd probably stay away from Magnus too if I were you. He's not a big of yours either right now." Alec remembered the look terror on Magnus' face when he had stumbled into the apartment and then collapsed, hardly able to breathe. His fractured shoulder was an easy enough fix but the gash down his ribs had been laced with demon poison and was going to take a lot longer to heal.

"I didn't think–"

"No you didn't," Alec said coldly. He felt a sense of satisfaction when Jace flinched.

Alec shifted and he winced as the ache radiated down his side. Max looked up at him with wide eyes and Alec couldn't help but grin back. He snapped his teeth, making Max smile around his bottle with a soft gurgling sound.

"I'm sorry."

Alec sighed. "I really want to strangle you right now but my hands are a little busy."

"Wouldn't be the first time you've wanted to do that," Jace said lightly. His smile faded when Alec glowered at him. Jace dropped his gaze to his hands. "Magnus told me what happened last night." He furrowed his brows and looked at his _parabatai_. "Why? I knew you were mad but you've never stormed off like that before. You could have been killed."

Alec remained silent. He didn't know why, or maybe he did, but to admit that he was so furiously mad that he hadn't even wanted an _iratze_ from his _parabatai_ seemed pettish and irresponsible in hindsight.

"What changed?"

" _I_ changed, Jace." Alec met Jace's gaze. "I have a family now. My priorities have changed, and now…" he let the sentence fade into silence.

"And now?"

Alec's eyes pleaded with his _parabatai_ to understand. "You know I love you; you're my brother and my best friend. But every time you don't listen and do something reckless, I wonder what saving you is going to cost me – what it's going to cost my son.

"I know that's not fair on either of us. We're _parabatai_ ; we're supposed to be willing to lay down our lives for each other. Maybe questioning that disrespects our oath and I'm sorry. If you were anyone else, it would be a choice and you'd lose," Alec sighed. "But you _are_ my _parabatai_ , which means you always come first. Even if sometimes I wish you didn't."

They both grew quiet. Jace remained tense in his seat, looking everywhere but at Alec. Alec gazed at this son sadly. He didn't know what or how Jace would react. In his mind, he'd lost track of who was supposed to be apologising to whom.

"It got so quiet I was afraid you'd killed him."

Alec turned to see Magnus sticking his head out from behind the bedroom door. He looked tired, hair in charming disarray and completely devoid of its usual sparkle. He managed a small smile and then turned his sharp eyes onto Jace.

"You could at least maim him a little," Magnus offered.

Alec held back a smile. "We're fine, go back to sleep."

He idly wondered if Magnus was actually trying to sleep or if he'd had his ears pressed against the door all this time; he'd find out later. Then he heard the soft padding of bare feet and the unmistakeable squeak of their bed. Magnus had been talking about replacing their mattress with memory foam. 'Sleep like a baby,' the advert had announced loudly, which had confused the both of them; neither could figure out why that was a good thing having had first-hand experience with a baby of their own.

The strained silence stretched on. Alec could hear the soft bustle of the city through the slightly cracked window, and Max continued chugging away at his bottle in his arms. He smiled when Max turned to Jace, waving one chubby fist around.

"I think," Alec finally said to Max, "that Uncle Jace is mad at Daddy."

Jace shifted and replied softly, "And Uncle Jace _knows_ Daddy's mad at him."

They shared a smile.

"I remember apologising once, a long time ago in Edom, for giving little thought to how you felt. Do you remember?"

Alec nodded and for a second, he could see anger flash across his _parabatai's_ face.

"You shouldn't have to spell these things out for me. If our places were switched I know I'd never have to call you out on it. I know how much you love them." He paused. "And I'm sorry for making you feel like you had to choose between me and your family. You shouldn't have to. _Really_. I'll do better, I promise."

"I don't know if that's a promise you can keep," Alec admitted sadly.

"You know I always keep my word, at least when it comes to you. _Especially_ when it comes to you."

Alec leaned back slightly, letting his head sink into the soft leather cushion. He studied his _parabatai_ , taking in the sincerity and worry etched onto his friend's face as Jace waited for some kind of answer from him – a sign of forgiveness of any kind. Alec sighed and closed his eyes. There never really was any doubt. He knew it and Magnus knew it; that no matter how much Alec wanted to throw his _parabatai_ into a bottomless chasm, he'd be jumping in right after the idiot with a rope, cursing at him the whole way down.

"You still owe me for _Idris_."

Jace smiled then narrowed his eyes. "You promised me you'd never mention that to anyone – ever," he said accusingly. "And now _he_ knows," he added with a groan, jutting his hand towards the master bedroom.

"He's always known," Alec rolled his eyes. "How did you think I got there so quickly?" Of course he would have entirely preferred it if he hadn't needed to be portaled halfway across _Idris_ in the first place to find his _parabatai_ hiding behind a tree, stark naked.

"I trusted you."

"Trust me, trust my better half and all that," Alec responded airily. He cocked his head to the side with a small knowing grin. "It's not like nobody else knows."

"What? Who else knows?" Jace looked alarmed. "You promised you wouldn't–"

"Izzy knows," interrupted Alec. "Which probably means Simon knows. And if she didn't tell him Clary would have."

"She would never."

Alec gave him a look. It wasn't that much of a stretch that Clary would confess an embarrassing story to her best friend, _especially_ when it involved Jace.

Jace slid back against the couch with a huff. Then he gave a Alec a curious look and sat up. "Wait, I thought I was your better half."

"No, you're my _other_ half," Alec corrected when Max finished his bottle with an audible pop. Alec smiled as placed the bottle on the table and then wiped the dribble from the corner of his son's mouth.

"That's harsh," said Jace. "How many halves do you have exactly?"

Alec ignored him and lifted the infant, resting Max's chin on his towelled shoulder. Max pressed his face into the towel and began to babble as Alec rubbed small circles in his back. He stood up when the babbling was replaced by grizzling and Max began to wave his tiny fists around in complaint. They made their way to the nursery and Alec returned Max to his cot. He leaned over, letting Max play with his finger as he murmured to his son. Happy and full, it didn't take long for Max to settle and fall asleep. Alec carefully extracted his hand, made sure the baby monitor was on and then left the room, making sure the door was closed behind him.

He strode into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. "You want one?" he offered, holding up the cup. At Jace's negative, he returned to the couch and took a sip, letting the warmth spread through him. He set the cup down on the coffee table and froze, his hand quickly going to his side. The pain shot out in a thumping ache and Alec fell back with an audible groan.

In an instant, Jace was kneeling by his knees, _stele_ already in his hands.

"Lean back," he said, gently nudging Alec in the shoulder.

Alec closed his eyes as he felt the press of _adamas_ against the skin of his chest, and he saw the familiar rune form in his mind with every stroke of his _parabatai_ 's _stele._ When the mark was complete, Alec let out an audible sigh of relief as it took effect, numbing the pain.

"Thanks." He opened his eyes and found Jace studying him, brows drawn together in curiosity. "What? What are you staring at?"

Jace blinked, his eyes wide in surprise at having been caught. He shook his head, and muttered an embarrassed, "Nothing," before pulling himself back up onto the couch.

Alec narrowed his eyes as he watched his friend's face turn crimson. "You were imagining something dirty, weren't you? Wait, was it about me?"

Jace pulled his legs to his chest and blushed harder. He yelped when Alec threw a stuffed cow at his head. "It's not my fault," he squawked. "I have an active imagination and you–" He gestured to Alec's neck. "You have a really big hickey right there."

"A big hick– Oh." Alec blushed, his hand immediately going to his neck. The memory of Magnus' lips against his skin made him shiver.

Jace smirked at him. "Now who's having dirty thoughts?" He ducked as a flying elephant sailed past his head. "I should probably go," he said with a laugh.

He got to his feet and headed for the door, then he paused and turned to Alec. "Don't you have a cat? He's usually slinking around somewhere glaring at me," said Jace, scanning the apartment for any sign of feline movement.

"He's in the nursery," said Alec, opening the front door.

Jace raised an eyebrow. "He sleeps with the baby?"

"He's very protective."

Jace stepped out of the apartment, paused and spun back to Alec. "Oh, I forgot. Maryse said–"

Alec rolled his eyes. "I know. Mom left a message saying she needed to talk to me about something. I think it's just an excuse to see Max."

"Probably," Jace chuckled. He took a step back and smiled at his _parabatai_. "Don't stay mad at me for too long," and then he disappeared, bounding down the stairs.

Alec shook his head. He locked the door behind him and headed to the bedroom to crawl back under the covers with Magnus.

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